July=Vacation?!

So July accidently turned into the month of non-stop vacation. Oops. You already heard about my casi week long vacay for 4^th of July... So then I finally went back to site, but then I convinced Chelsea to visit me. Thankfully she did. We had a fabulous time just watching movies and hanging out and drinking wine, occasionally of course. Then I got the news that my brother had been hit by car and I was terrified. That’s the last thing you want to happen, have a family member who gets in a serious accident and you can do nothing about it. I was just stuck here, half a world away, worrying about my little brother. Thank God Chelsea was here to support me. It was actually hilarious because I called my bosses to inform them about what happened just in case it was more serious that I thought (keep in mind that I had zero info at this point and didn’t know if I would have to return home or something) and they immediately told me to call Chelsea and tell her to come be by my side and support me...little did they know that she was literally already sitting in my room. Ha! Anyhooo, since she had official permission to be in my site, she decided/I told her to just stay for a week. She helped me set up my new “apartment”. We painted and moved my stuff in and then she got to spend my first night with me, which was actually wonderful. Wasn’t lonely at all, which I’ve heard can happen sometimes.

So then Jen returned from Argentina (oh yeah, she was on a fabulous vacation to Buenos Aires…lucky) and lured us to her site with promises of presents. Of course we got on a bus the next day and headed to Villa Florida. The funny thing about Villa FL is that I’m practically more integrated there than I am in my own site. This might be a problem, butttt at least I’m integrated somewhere right!?! It’s only because Jen is like the most guapa PCV ever and knows like everyone, so in turn they clearly know her rubia friend who always visits. Makes sense to me. She had just moved into her house too, and it is way far out in the campo. It’s like a 25-30 minute walk from the center of town on a dirt road. It has a fabulous yard and a ton of space (oh wait, you already knew that because I posted pictures of the fire pit we built) equipped with tons of farm animals including chickens, a horse we named Cocoa, and a little cow. Also we also got Bonna to come visit too. So basically Jen came back from vacation and hosted 3 rubias immediately… that seems right. This is how our girl band "Jen and the Rubias "was created. I’d see that band.

So we had a fabulous weekend and then when we decided that we should go home, we went into to town so I could take out some money from the ATM for the return bus trip. This is how I realized that I was literally trapped in Villa FL. I had only brought enough money for the trip there, because I knew that she had the ATM in her town… I never thought it would be broken the very same day that I wanted to leave and that it would stay broken for a week. Why did I not see this coming? It just seems like something that would happen. So the other, more responsible girls were able to return home while I became Jen’s new roommate. I mean, I’m not going to complain because who wouldn’t want to have a legitimate excuse to stay with your best friend for a whole week and a half?! Why didn’t I just borrow money from Jen you ask? Well, she only had limited cash too and we weren’t sure when the ATM would be fixed and we still had to buy things like food.

On Friday, we invited Jazmine who lives a couple towns over and she said yes immediately. No coercion needed, haha. I also took a long shot and invited Chelsea back. Thank goodness she said yes too. So here we are again having a fabulous time with our fabulous G-mates. I could really get used to that life. Sometimes Peace Corps is stressful and lonely, but then you get trapped in some else’s site and you forget about all of that. And these are the things that Returned PCVs remember when people ask them about their service. They forget all about the hard times (well maybe not allll…) and reflect upon all the amazing times they had with these incredible people we’ve grown so close to.

By the way, if you have not heard… I officially asked Jen to be my very first bridesmaid. I’m so excited! This should demonstrate how quickly and closely you form relationships. I’ve only known her for 6 months but she has grown to become one of my closest friends. That’s what Peace Corps does.

Anyway, I finally made it back to site on Tuesday…whoops. And now I’m about to take 2 teens (my host sister and her friend) to a 3-day HIV workshop where they will learn all about statistics and prevention and all that jazz. Perfect for them because they are interested in pursuing medicine someday. Yay for having a guapa activity finally. But it still goes along with the whole July=Vacation theme because we’ll have to travel many miles away. Then the next day after the workshop is over I have to travel back to G’re, the training community, for a week long training event. I’m so excited to see my G-mates again. Then the weekend after that MATT COMES TO VISIT! Holy Moley, I’m SO PUMPED! I simply cannot wait. Then he’ll be here for two weeks…so maybe it’ll be August=vacation too!

These are the memories that I will hold onto for the rest of my life. These are the times that will make the hard times worth it. These are the moments when I realize that I need to not take everything so seriously, they put things into perspective.

Until next time,
xox

Immune System, where are you?!

This is a quick one. I’m home from Asuncion now and of course, I’m sick. Again. How does this keep happening?! For those of you out there who know me well, you’ll know that I NEVER get sick in the States. I have a super immune system. For example: my freshman year of college, my roommate/best friend had Swine Flu and had to stay in our room because the “quarantined dorms” were full…and I didn’t even get that even though it was super contagious. Either way, my immune system apparently decided to take a break while I’m here in Py, rude. I don’t really know how to be sick. It sounds weird but the only way I can explain is you know how people always talk about men being completely helpless babies when they are sick? Well that’s me too. I barely have a sore throat, however I do have a horrendous cough and my voice is totally guampy (this is a word Jen and I created. It means something that is gross/swampy, it means exactly what it sounds like. It’s a fabulous word, start using it), but you’d think I had the flu or some serious illness. Whatever, I would just seriously appreciate it if my immune system would show up sometime soon.

Fourth of July/Pub Crawl

Got to Asu on Wednesday night and was finally able to see Maria. I hadn’t seen her yet which is ridiculous. She was my close friend and is a TAC member with me, and it was simply incredible that we both got placed in Paraguay. That does not happen, it’s like a one in a million chance. God, we’re lucky. Anyways, we went to a restaurant called Bolsi and I got some delicious mini burgers and cheese fries. They were SO satisfying. Then we went to TGI Fridays, I don’t even know if I’ve been to one in the States ha, but they had a 3x1 drink special which was perfect because there were 3 of us. We got Strawberry Mojitos and Tequila Sunrises. It was so fabulous having real drinks and not shitty Brahma brand beer.

Jen arrived in Asu on Thursday morning so I met her at the P.C. office. We hung out for a little bit because there were a lot of other PCVs there and we were able to reunite with some G-mates who also arrived. Then we went to get sushi for lunch. YUM. Jen and I decided to take a little adventure to Mercado Cuatro, which is just like this HUGE street market that has everything from clothes, appliances, fish, fruit, instruments to monkeys. Yes, they apparently sell monkeys there. So we walked around for a few hours and then realized we had literally no idea where we were. So we’re just sort of wandering around trying to figure out where we are, but it’s really difficult because everything looks the exact same. So finally we’re standing on a corner trying to orient ourselves and a dude on a moto pulls up and asks if we’re lost and if we’re Peace Corps Volunteers. Thank goodness that people in Asuncion are familiar with PC and can detect PCVs instantly. He gave us directions and we finally found our way out.
On Friday, we had to get up sort of early because there were some committee meetings in the office. I’m hoping to be a part of the Library Committee, the HIV/AIDS Taskforce, and the Gender and Development Committee. This was an all-day affair and then there was and NVAC meeting. This is a huge meeting with all of the VAC reps from each departamento (for example, my VAC is the Itapúa VAC) and the committee leaders. Being newbies, a few of us G-44ers decided we would check it out. What we didn’t know was that this meeting would last 3 and a half hours. No. I do not accept that. That is way too long, and I was not able to mentally prepare myself. I was thrilled when it was over.

That night there was an Asuncion 4^th of July Pub Crawl. It started at 10 so naturally we didn’t leave the hostel until 10:30. So we left with some G-43ers and assumed they knew where to go because they have been here longer than us. We were wrong. We were lost (this is becoming a trend apparently) and the annoying thing is that Paraguayans have this thing where they don’t want to disappoint you so even if they don’t know where you trying to get to they will make something up even though it could be totally wrong. This causes problems. So we ended up walking in a huge square that was like 20 blocks in total in the middle of downtown Asuncion, until we decided to stop at a gas station to get some beers. Exciting news: I shot gunned my first beer ever…in the gas station parking lot. Classy, I know. Whatever, moving on. So then we finally see a large group of what could be nothing else but PCVs. We followed them to the destination and found out that the pub crawl tickets were sold out, but that didn’t matter because we just decided to follow the group where ever they went, plus it saved us money on the 50 mil ticket. It was a fabulous time filled with dancing and just a little bit of drinking.
On Saturday morning we had the 4^th of July party at the embassy which actually ended up being super fun. We all got decked out in red, white and blue and got to eat hot dogs and hamburgers and chocolate chip cookies. There was country music and games. G-44 definitely held our own and actually won a few of the games, obviously we’re the best G. After the party we all went back to the hostel to nap because that night was Ahendu. Ahendu (which means I listen in Guarani, I’m pretty sure) is an event every 3 months for PCVs to perform their musical talents. We rent out a bar for a few hours for the event. Clearly I had nothing to contribute but it was so awesome hearing everyone play their instruments and sing. It was Great Gatsby themed which is an incredible theme, so classy. It was just so fun to be able to socialize and party with all the other, older volunteers.

Sunday was the day we were supposed to leave, but obviously a few friends and I decided to stay one more day. We hung out, got some free BBQ samples from a guy who is American and opening up a BBQ restaurant, and just chilled.  I returned home on Monday. And that was my weekend…well it was more of a week. I regret nothing. It was so great to let loose and spend time with my fellow PCVs.

Pub Crawl group! (photo cred to Giovanni Maldovano?)

 

only being fabulous!

Thank God I have my friend from home, reppin' Kenosha, also serving in Paraguay with me! TAC for life.  



Adventures to San Francisco

I started my mini vacation in Asuncion on Wednesday because my APCD, aka my boss, offered me a ride. Obviously I took her up on that offer because I would clearly NEVER prefer a slow, rickety bus for 7 hours to a nice, clean, fast car full of English speakers. So I needed to take a short little bus ride to meet her in another volunteers site since my site was actually a little bit out of the way. My G-mate lives in a small…I don’t know what you would call it actually…we’ll go with town, called San Francisco. I was instructed to ask the bus drivers as they are passing me by while I wait on the ruta if they are heading to San Fran, so naturally I do this. I hail the first bus that is passing and ask “Va a San Francisco?” (Are you going to San Fran?) and the driver looks at me confused, which should have been my first clue, then proceeds to say “yes, we go there”. So I get on the bus and just hang out for a bit. I then get a call from Graciela, my boss, and she’s sort of in a frenzy because she thinks I’m lost. Well, how would she know I’m lost…she doesn’t even know where I am or what bus I’m on. Weird. So I just keep truckin’ along, minding my own business. Then we stop in a town and the bus driver comes to retrieve me and then tells me it’s time for me to get off (they always do this because clearly I look like a lost puppy every time and my rubia locks just set me apart). I step off the bus with confusion on my face. I look up and what do I see? A huge sign that reads Chipa San Francisco. For those of you who have forgotten, chipa is a typical food here that is sort of like cheesy bread. So then I think…well maybe this town just really likes chipa and named their chiparia after themselves. A man then walks up to me because I still probably look like a lost puppy and asks me what I need. He tells me that we are indeed NOT in the town of San Fran, but actually we’re in General Bogado. Okay, sooo now I need to haul ass and get back on that bus so I’m not stranded in this weird chipa town. I tell the driver that I in fact did not want to be driven an hour and a half to the chipa place, but actually to a town called San Francisco. His response: “oh, we don’t go there”. Now that I’m back on the bus a few questions are racing through my head. First, how did my boss know I would get lost?! Must be because the site is super campo, okay...I’ll accept that. Second, why the F*** did the driver automatically think I asking to be taken to a chipa place that’s an hour and a half away, instead of the town?! Pure madness I tell you. I ended up being able to go to Santa Rosa which was fairly close to San Fran and have my boss pick me up there. It just was the weirdest bus situation I’ve ever been in, and of course for the rest of the trip it was the running joke that I just simply love chipa so much that I’ll travel an hour and a half to get it.